


The Makings of a Crush

by exodul



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Age Swap, Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Crush, Byun Baekhyun is Whipped, Crack, Crushes, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Park Chanyeol is Whipped, Pining, Slight Angst if you don't blink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23828431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exodul/pseuds/exodul
Summary: Chanyeol and Baekhyun dance around each other's feelings and everyone else gets picked up in their mess. (+Epilogue: 5 times Chanyeol and Baekhyun remember they love each other, and 1 time they forget.)
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 58
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

There's something about Byun Baekhyun that's enchanting. 

Something about him makes him glow when you see him and causes your heart to beat erratically with the urge to hug him and love him and never let him go. 

"There's nothing about him—you're just in love, you big-eared buffoon."

"Sehun..."

"What? I'm serious. The guy is just normal." Sehun replies, legs over the armchair he was sitting in, book leaning against his thighs. 

They were in the school library, on the second floor, which overlooks the computer labs. Baekhyun was sitting in one of the cubicles, glasses on and hair disheveled as he poured himself into whatever project he was completing. 

Upon arrival, Chanyeol had every intention to study up and get ready for class. Still, ever since spotting the graphic design sophomore, he's been entirely unable to focus. Probably the most complicated decision of the day is whether he should go up to him and say 'hi' or not. No matter how many times he ran the scenario in his head, he kept feeling discouraged in the end and had not moved an inch from his spot.

"You know, Baekhyun is super nice." Sehun mentions, flipping the page of his novel. Chanyeol could never understand how he could divide his attention like that. Still, he guesses it must be a skill all literature majors have.

"I know he's nice." he replies, but Sehun quickly counters with a  _ 'Do you though?'  _ and yes—he really does. He knows how nice and friendly Baekhyun is more than anyone. He's been admiring the silver-haired boy for over a year already. He has experienced Baekhyun's outgoing personality more than once.  _ ('You've talked to him three times max, Chanyeol').  _ Therefore he's dubbed himself the expert in Byun Baekhyun trivia.

Sehun seems to have had enough of his indecisiveness, though, because he's quickly bookmarking and closing his book. ( _ Pride and Prejudice _ , Chanyeol notes). He soon sits up straight in his chair with one of his trademarked exasperated sighs. 

"I'm gonna go talk to him."

_ "Don't you fucking dare—"  _ Chanyeol threatens. Still, Sehun's been his roommate since freshman year and knows Chanyeol's about a scary as a puppy. He briskly ignores him and makes himself go down to the computer lab with light steps. He knows Chanyeol is burning holes in his scalp from his sniper position on the second floor.

He sees Sehun approach Baekhyun. Sees him talk a bit with him and feels a pang of jealousy when he makes Baekhyun laugh. They both turn around then, and Sehun points a finger to where Chanyeol's hiding. The tall basketball player ducks his head, so only his fluffed brown hair and reading glasses can be seen. Baekhyun seems to tilt his head at his action with a smile, looking up at Sehun a second later with amused eyes. 

In the next second, Baekhyun nods, and Sehun goes in for a high-five. The raven-haired ambivert takes out his phone and exchanges numbers with Baekhyun. After another high five, he turns on his heel and makes his way back upstairs to the sitting area Chanyeol was now wallowing in. 

With one last look at Chanyeol's way, Baekhyun smiles and turns back to his colorful assignment, as if nothing had occurred at all.

Once Sehun comes back, he finds Chanyeol curled into himself on the floor behind the cement railing. He's avoiding everyone's stares of confusion and is making Sehun question if he should even come back to him at all. 

Eventually, Sehun walks up to him and sends Baekhyun's number to his phone. (Something Chanyeol acknowledges with a glance to his screen but doesn't dare rightly look at just yet).

"Baekhyun says to text him." 

"Shut up. I'm mad at you."

"Says he's seen you play before."

"Nobody goes to our games; this is an art school."

"I'm serious. Baekhyun thinks you're cute."

" _ He thinks I'm what—?!"  _ Chanyeol whisper-screams. "How'd you even know he's into guys?! That could have seriously backfired on me!"

"Chanyeol."

"What."

"This is an art school. Everyone's gay."

* * *

The next time Chanyeol thought about Baekhyun, he was back in his dorm. His next class period began quickly after the library fiasco. Despite the fact he was on a sports scholarship, he thought himself to be a pretty serious student. 

Chanyeol didn't really have a solid future plan. Still, his biology major was growing on him (especially his marine biology classes). So he figured that was as good as any other major he could have chosen. Chanyeol had purposely selected a school close to home and his increasingly ill mother, comforted by the thought he could quickly drive to her if she so needed. 

Yes, Chanyeol considered himself a pretty serious person for all things except his crush of almost two years: Byun-fucking-Baekhyun. 

He first met Baekhyun as a freshman when the younger student was touring the facilities with his high school class. 

Uninterested at first, Chanyeol was simply settled outside during one of the more beautiful spring semester days. He had his headphones on his head with one ear peeking out, reading one of the textbooks from his freshman year Gen-Ed classes when Baekhyun and his high school classmates came through the courtyard. Their assigned student guide that afternoon had been Junmyeon—whom Chanyeol was acquainted with through the tutoring center as his math tutor. 

"The building to your right is the Math and Sciences Building. You'll be taking your core math and sciences courses in this building. If any of you are interested in being a STEM major, you'll practically live here like this student over here." 

The next thing Chanyeol knew, Junmyeon was guiding the high schoolers over where he was perched near the building entrance. Realizing what was happening, Chanyeol counted a total of 5 seconds to come up with a game plan. Though Junmyeon knew him to be serious and quiet, he didn't know the reason for being so taciturn was his perpetual fear of public speaking. He figured he should start using that fact as his chosen trait during first-day ice breakers to avoid these situations from happening. 

"This is Chanyeol. He's a freshman biology major and currently one of my math tutees." Junmyeon introduced; the class crowding around him as if he was a caged animal in an academic zoo. 

"Hi…" Chanyeol greeted with a shy wave, pulling his headphones off out of respect and biting his lower lip anxiously. 

"Chanyeol is here on a basketball scholarship as well, so he's a great example to those of you interested in this school but a bit hesitant due to our focus being in the arts."

"I'm not… really that…" Chanyeol murmured shyly, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck as he felt everyone focus all their attention on him. 

He heard a snicker next to him and turned his head immediately to find the source. His eyes locked with a light brown-haired boy in a white polo and tartan slacks  _ ('His uniform?') _ , the boy's hand covering his grin, his eyes upturned in amusement. 

His teacher must have noticed the blush on Chanyeol's cheeks from being laughed at because the next thing he knew, she was next to the light-haired boy, pulling on his sleeve with a disapproving frown. "Don't laugh." She said, glancing at Chanyeol and giving the laughing boy a stoic glare. 

The boy didn't seem put off by her scolding in the slightest and just brushed her off with the hand he was using to cover his grin. "Sorry, teach." He said, but Chanyeol didn't think he meant it at all. "He's just so cute." The boy continued, and Chanyeol's blush had spread down his neck and up to his ears. 

That was the first time he met Byun Baekhyun. 

The day he fell for Baekhyun was another story entirely. 

After that day, he forgot the boy existed until the following year. Baekhyun had enrolled as a freshman graphic design major, and Chanyeol had managed to pass his public speaking course with a solid C+. So you could say they both had evolved somehow. 

Chanyeol was in line at the student rec center's dining hall, and Baekhyun had lined up behind him. The younger boy had dyed his hair pink that year and was no longer wearing his uniform. He wore a really put together ensemble made up of a white turtleneck and plaid overcoat in exchange. To his surprise, Baekhyun had even recognized him! The boy had tapped him on the shoulder and quickly struck up a conversation with him—something that seemed to come so easy to him and never Chanyeol. 

The taller saw in Baekhyun all the qualities he adored and wished he had as well. Baekhyun had some sort of magnet that quickly drew people into him. Chanyeol found himself suddenly feeling comfortable and at ease in his presence. Baekhyun didn't mind that he was quiet and was more than willing to fill up the space between them with endless chatter. That's how he came to know all sorts of things about him, like his major and how he couldn't stand his core curriculum classes and how he enjoyed the fall season most of all. Chanyeol remembers how Baekhyun had told him his favorite color was yellow and how he enjoyed wearing grey contacts from time to time. Chanyeol remembered all the things Baekhyun had said to him that day. It was this realization that sort of planted this crush within him. From there on, any little glance at the younger and any little interaction simply served as droplets of water to help this crush grow. Now, it became this small sapling of love that Chanyeol felt greedy to develop further. 

It was embarrassing, really, how fast Chanyeol seemed to fall for Baekhyun. It would've probably taken longer had Baekhyun not joined the school radio station the following semester. He had gained his own segment, where he offered advice to students who would seek it. Every Friday at 6pm, you could find Chanyeol with his earplugs in. His phone tuned into the school station. Eyes closed as he relaxed to the sound of Baekhyun's endless chatter, smiling as he imagined the conversation filling the silence of his room instead. 

Ah—he was getting greedy again. Oh, so greedy. 

He really had it bad…

* * *

That was really where you could find Chanyeol at now. In the comfort of his room. Sitting up against the wall next to his bed with his earplugs in. Listening to Baekhyun speak so eloquently about whatever subject had been brought up that night. 

He looked down at the contact he had created for Baekhyun. A simple contact with no embellishments, just the boy's first and last name. Chanyeol found that only those three syllables were enough to send his heart into a frenzy. 

Sehun sat across from him, in his own bed, in his own world. His best friend was busy with another book, a textbook from his Gender and Sexuality courses. Chanyeol wondered how he could read that much all the time and not have his eyes grow tired.

"Sehun?" Chanyeol called, pulling out one of his earplugs. 

"Hm?" The other replied, his eyes still scanning the pages of his book. 

"What should I text Baekhyun?"

Sehun let out another one of his famous sighs and closed his book shut. He set it aside on his bed as he leaned his body against his elbow, looking at Chanyeol with a raised eyebrow. "Tell him you want to get into his pants."

Chanyeol blushed again that day within the context of his crush, looking at Sehun with a harmless glare. "I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Sehun." Chanyeol whined, which got Sehun to leap up from his bed and throw his lanky body next to Chanyeol's, grabbing the boy's phone from him. 

He unlocked the phone and grinned. "You listening to his show?" he asked.

"I always listen to his show." Chanyeol replied, looking as if the other had said the most obvious thing in the world. 

"Right. Of course." Sehun said, opening the messaging app on his phone and pulling up Baekhyun's contact.

"What are you doing?" Chanyeol asked, terrified. 

Sehun simply waved him away and began to type on the app, stepping up to his feet again and pacing around the room. 

Chanyeol stood up after him, trying to look over the other's shoulder. Sadly he ran out of time to figure out Sehun's ploy before he heard the sound of a message being delivered. His face instantly paled.

Accomplished, Sehun threw Chanyeol's phone to his bed and looked at the taller boy with a triumphant grin. "You're welcome."

Chanyeol didn't really dare to check his phone to see what Sehun said. However, he felt himself almost faint as he tuned his ears back to Baekhyun's show, which was now playing aloud through his speakers for both him and Sehun to hear.

He heard Baekhyun's phone ding from the other side, and he heard Baekhyun unlock his phone while he was saying his goodbyes to his listeners. 

"Sehun, what did you say?" he asked the other, but Sehun didn't reply. Instead, his roommate had gone back to his book, as if he hadn't given Chanyeol reason to stop breathing. 

Through the speakers, he heard Baekhyun giggle  _ (giggle!) _ , and his patience  _ snapped _ . He picked up his phone and pulled up the conversation between them, reading the message Sehun had sent on his behalf. 

_ 'Your voice sounds delectable through the radio. Does your mouth taste the same?' _

** "OH SEHUN!" **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (12.31.2020 - minor edits)


	2. Chapter 2

Byun Baekhyun was a lot of things but oblivious; he was not.

Byun Baekhyun was a lot of things but blind; he was not. 

Byun Baekhyun was a lot of things. Including just the smallest, tiniest bit, sadistic. 

That's why, when he saw Sehun approach him that afternoon with his usual exasperated expression, he instantly became just a little more gleeful. He knew it related to his adorable little pet: Park Chanyeol.

Yes, that's right—his __ pet.

Chanyeol had been his cute pet ever since he first laid eyes on his blushing mess of a form that fateful spring day. At least, nobody but him thought so. Not even Chanyeol himself. 

"Baekhyun, I can't take it anymore. I'm gonna kill him." Sehun said as he approached, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Please just do something about it."

Baekhyun laughed, eyes twinkling in pure happiness at the other's distress.

Baekhyun had met Sehun not long after he began attending school. They were in the same general writing course, Baekhyun as a first-semester freshman and Sehun as a first-semester sophomore. At the time, he didn't know Sehun's relation to Chanyeol, only that the other boy held as much contempt for the class as he did. Sehun, however, was a much better writer than he ever hoped to be. So he quickly latched onto the older boy for assistance in the course, and ever since then, they've been friendly acquaintances. 

"No way. He's so cute." Baekhyun replied, looking over Sehun's shoulder. 

Sehun turned around then as well, looking up at the second floor and seeing Chanyeol looking over at them with the expression of a hurt puppy. 

"That overgrown man is cute to you?" Sehun asked, jabbing a finger in the air in the taller's direction. 

Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol again. He takes note of his fluffy hair and how it sticks upward. He takes note of the older's glasses, a bit askew in his attempt to duck behind the railing. He looked like a scared chipmunk, and Baekhyun was positively  _ enamored _ . "He's the most adorable thing I've ever seen. I wanna see him cry. He must be so cute." he said, looking at Sehun with innocent, amused eyes. 

"You're sick as hell." Sehun replied, "Just go to one of his games or something. I'm begging."

"I go to all of his games, Sehun. He never notices me. He loves basketball. He goes into a full-on trance when on the court."

"I've never seen you at his games."

"You're never at his games!"

Sehun blinked. Then he laughed. "Yeah, you're right. He never knows better, anyways."

They both made eye contact. They were both thinking the same thing: Chanyeol's face when he whines. They clicked. They high-fived.

"I knew I liked you." Sehun said, taking out his phone from his back pocket and holding it out for Baekhyun to take. "Give me your number."

"You have my number, Sehun."

"Pretend to give me your number, then. I'm gonna give it to Chanyeol."

Baekhyun perked up at that, grabbing Sehun's phone and taking a selfie instead, setting it as his contact's profile picture. "You think he'll text me? Really?"

"Oh, no. He's gonna whine about it all night." Sehun replied, taking his phone back and promptly deleting the picture Baekhyun took, making the other pout. 

"Then why give it to him?"

"I don't know Baekhyun. Maybe I want him to text you. Maybe I want you guys to get together. Even though you're the worst."

"I'm the best. Stop lying."

They both paused. They made eye contact again. They smiled. They high-fived again and laughed.

"Man, I knew I liked you." Sehun said. "You're so weird."

"Love you, Hunnie!"

"Ew, don't call me that." Sehun said. And with that final word, he turned on his heel and walked back towards Chanyeol's direction. The taller boy now out of Baekhyun's sight. 

* * *

For Baekhyun, college was more of a formality than anything else. Ever since he was small, he was always very expressive through art. He was skilled at all sorts of visual mediums such as drawing, sketching, painting, digital work, etc. He came upon the decision to major in graphic design purely out of a financial point of view. Out of all the skills he had, he figured graphic design would allow him the most opportunities in the real world. Though honestly, it's probably not much of a difference from other visual arts. 

Still, he enjoyed being creative, and he enjoyed being able to express himself and his emotions through art. 

Baekhyun had always been talkative and opinionated. He was loud, and some considered him obnoxious, though he was confident to the point of almost being a flaw. Was it a crime to know your worth?

That's probably why he was drawn to the school's radio station, an aspect that was initially a selling point for him during his high school tour.

Ah, his high school tour. The day he met Chanyeol.

Now, don't get him wrong. Baekhyun was in no way, shape, or form in love with Chanyeol. He knew his place. Chanyeol was unreachable then and even a bit unattainable now. 

Think about it for a second, will you? Chanyeol was:

  1. tall
  2. with a deep voice
  3. ripped
  4. talented in sports
  5. super fucking smart _(a biology major!!!!!!)_
  6. downright adorable
  7. shy
  8. with a heart of gold???



No, Baekhyun wasn't delusional. Chanyeol was too good for him. 

This is why, for the life of him, he could never understand  _ why  _ Chanyeol had such a massive crush on him. It drove him crazy every time he thought about it. He felt he wasted all the luck in his life, attracting such a fine-ass man. 

"Dear listeners, please indulge me for a second." Baekhyun dramatically said, speaking into the mic mounted in the studio, his radio club members listening on the other side of the sound-proof glass. "I'd like to talk about something we all have on our minds during the semester. I'm talking about love."

His club members rolled their eyes. Baekhyun managed to sneak in the topic at least once a month, if not more. The station had a couple of loyal listeners. However, almost nobody on campus listened, which meant that Baekhyun had free range of his show for a full hour at times if he didn't have letters or messages to reply to. At those times, the boy could talk for hours about a variety of topics. His favorite being: love. 

"Dear listeners, what do you do when love is mutual? When it's not unrequited?" Baekhyun asked the air, eyes glued on his phone screen while he spoke. He had set a candid picture of Chanyeol as his lock screen. In it, Chanyeol was in his basketball uniform, his toned back to Baekhyun's camera, showing off the number '61' on his jersey. 

"The answer on everyone's mind is probably that you would immediately date, no? If love is mutual, then of course you would get together. That's, of course, considering there are no physical obstacles like distance or familial responsibility. I want to focus on intangible obstacles for a second. Emotional obstacles. What if you think the other is too good for you? Will you allow yourself then the chance to fall heartbroken if the other party realizes the distance between your worth? Would a piece of coal and a diamond look good together? Please think about it. I would like to know your opinion."

Then, Baekhyun's phone dings, calling the attention of not only himself but everyone in the studio. Bashfully, he grabbed his phone and took a look, seeing a message from Chanyeol pop up on his screen.

Baekhyun could feel his heartbeat pick up when he saw Chanyeol's name  _ (read: Pet ❤️). _ Immediately, he pulled the phone to his lap, unlocking it while he spoke into the microphone once more. 

"And that's my time for tonight, my loves. Please, please, please tune in once more next week. It would mean a lot to this station and would help with our club funding for next year." At this moment, Baekhyun made the critical error of looking down at his phone, reading the message Chanyeol had sent him. 

_ 'Your voice sounds delectable through the radio. Does your mouth taste the same?' _

Baekhyun gasped. He covered his mouth with his hand, smile widening behind his fingers as he let out a lovestruck giggle into the microphone. If he and Chanyeol were dating, would he send messages like this regularly?

His team looked at him weirdly and tapped the glass to get his attention, which succeeded momentarily enough for him to finish his segment. "Until next time, this has been Byun Baekhyun." He complied before turning his attention again to his phone.

_ 'Your voice sounds delectable through the radio. Does your mouth taste the same?' _

He swooned.

_ 'Your voice sounds delectable through the radio. Does your mouth taste the same?' _

He panicked.

_ 'Your voice sounds delectable through the radio. Does your mouth taste the same?' _

He screamed.

* * *

"Soo! Soo! Open up!" Baekhyun screamed, knocking relentlessly on his and his roommate's door. "Soo! Soo!"

"You have a  _ fucking  _ key!" his roommate screamed from inside. Baekhyun didn't care.

"Soo! Soo!" Baekhyun kept screaming, knocking with both fists now. 

"For fuck's sakes!" His roommate growled, the sound of something crashing against the door, making said object rattle. 

Then, the door across from them opened, and their RA stepped out from his single room, a deadpan expression on his face.

When senior Kim Minseok decided to become an RA, he was thinking solely about the tuition discount. Perhaps he should have thought more thoroughly because no amount of money could make dealing with these idiots worth it. 

"Baekhyun. Baek. Baby. My darling. I'll kill you." Minseok said, bags under his eyes and his room dark. "My precious sophomore. I haven't slept in days. It's pledge week for the frats. Please have mercy on me."

Baekhyun turned around then, smile wide and innocent. "Morning' Minnie!"

"It's 8 o'clock at night, you beast."

"Kyungsoo won't let me in."

"Where's your key, Baekhyun?"

"I lost it."

"That'll be $75 then."

"Did I say I lost it? I meant I left it at my boyfriend's place."

"You're head over heels in love with a virgin."

Baekhyun gasped, affronted. "Chanyeol's a sex god."

"Chanyeol's a born again Christian."

"I don't like this topic of conversation."

Minseok rolled his eyes then. Followed by Baekhyun's room door unlocking and opening, revealing an intensely irritated Do Kyungsoo, holding what looks to be a can of Lysol.  _ ('Probably the object he threw against the door...' Baekhyun thought.) _

"I'll kill you." Kyungsoo said, eyes piercing Baekhyun's.

"Why does everyone want to kill me? Chanyeol would never." Baekhyun whined, plopping down on the floor of the hallway, kicking his legs in a semi-tantrum.

Kyungsoo and Minseok exchanged annoyed glances then. 

"Go bother Chanyeol then." Kyungsoo retaliated. "I was watching a movie for class."

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and jumped up, stomping into their shared room with an annoyed huffed. He let Kyungsoo and Minseok say their goodnights. Kyungsoo then closed the door behind him before plopping back down on his bed, pulling his laptop back on his lap. He hoped Baekhyun would be gracious enough to allow him the chance to continue his film but--

"I have to tell you something!"

\--he knew it was too good to be true. "Baekhyun. I have to finish this for my 8am tomorrow."

"I didn't know the film professors held 8ams. I thought they preferred late-night classes." Baekhyun commented, taking off his coat and hanging it up, changing into his sweats.

"They do, but this professor is trying to get his Ph.D., so his schedule is a total hassle." Kyungsoo complained, falling back into the false sense of comfort. With Baekhyun, there was never real comfort. 

"But this is important!" Baekhyun countered, smile wide as he jumped on Kyungsoo's bed, phone clutched to his chest. "Chanyeol texted me today!"

Kyungsoo snorted. "No way. From what you've told me, this guy can't even look at you without crying."

Baekhyun pushed his shoulder and pouted. "He's not that bad. He's just sensitive. I love him, mother."

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. "What'd he send you? A helpful link to a school resource?"

"Your voice sounds delectable through the radio. Does your mouth taste the same?" Baekhyun read aloud, proud and triumphant smirk on his face. 

"No chance in hell." Kyungsoo said, still focused on the black and white movie playing on his screen, not even looking at him.

"Total chance in hell."

"There's no way, Baekhyun."

"He sent it!"

"No way did he send that himself."

"Yes, way--" Then, Sehun's face popped up in Baekhyun's mind, and he had half a mind to go kick his ass. "Shit."

"Told ya."

Baekhyun deflated then, looking every bit like the kicked puppy he felt like. It even made Kyungsoo feel a little bad to look at him. 

"What do I do, Kyungsoo?" Baekhyun asked, and if he had ears, they would be stuck to his head.

Kyungsoo sighed. He wasn't his roommate's biggest fan, but they were still friends, strangely enough. "Just text him back. He's probably freaking out cause you haven't replied."

At least the comment earned him a chuckle from Baekhyun, followed by a wicked grin and an evil twinkle in the other's eye. 

"I'm gonna send him nudes."

"Baekhyun, no."

"Baekhyun, YES."

"Do not send the boy voted most likely to bring you daisies nudes, Baekhyun."

"I can't hear you over the sound of my own genius." Baekhyun said, hopping off the bed and scurrying to the bathroom.

Kyungsoo blinked. "Chanyeol's a goner. Rest in peace, my man."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (12.31.2020 - minor edits)


	3. Chapter 3

Kyungsoo was right. Chanyeol  _ was _ freaking out.

He had spent the last hour and a half sitting down on the floor in the middle of his dorm, pondering over how he should save this conversation. Baekhyun's lack of reply could only mean one thing in Chanyeol's head: and that was pure rejection. And he only had Sehun to blame.

"How could you do that?" he asked Sehun, dejectedly looking at the open message on their phone.

Sehun didn't reply in favor of just flipping another page in his book. He'd been hearing Chanyeol whine for a while and had already given up on responding.

"He probably hates me now." Chanyeol continued, overthinking his follow-up reply. How could he even message Baekhyun now after so much time had passed? Would it be weird to take it back now? What if Baekhyun never talked to him again for as long as he lived?

Before he began hyperventilating, though, he received a reply. His phone dinged in his hand, calling the attention of even the uninterested Sehun. 

"Did he text you back?" Sehun asked, and Chanyeol looked down at his phone to verify and confirm his suspicions. 

"I don't wanna open it. I'm scared." Chanyeol said, holding the phone out to Sehun. "You do it. He's talking to you anyway."

Sehun rolled his eyes but took the offered device anyway, plopping down from his bed to the floor across from Chanyeol and unlocking the other's phone with ease. Chanyeol's password was stupid. It had been "6169" since freshman year. 

A moment of silence passed between them as Sehun surveyed the response. "It's a picture," he said, opening up the image and zooming in with his fingers, face contorted in disgust. "I think... it's a nude. I'm not sure, though. Isn't Baekhyun into visual arts? Why is he so bad at photography?"

"Let me see." Chanyeol said, swiping the phone from Sehun's hands and zooming out to see the image in full.

Sehun was right. It  _ was  _ a nude, or at least Baekhyun's version of it. Chanyeol would have probably freaked out more had it not been the worst nude he's ever received in his life. In it, Baekhyun was standing in what looked to be his shared bathroom. His shirt was up and covered half his face as it bunched up over his collarbone. The flash had gone off against the reflection, blurring any sight of nipple or tummy and just showing off his armpit. He had his leg up on the sink, but he was wearing sweatpants. The flash was so bright that it made his lower body blend with the floor. Truly, Chanyeol couldn't even consider this a nude, but rather some misguided attempt at one. 

"Oh my God." Chanyeol exclaimed. He looked up and met eyes with Sehun before they both started laughing their asses off.

* * *

Baekhyun had been gone for a while, and Kyungsoo was almost asleep, the silent movie he was watching lulling him to slumber. Right as he was about to give in to Mr. Sandman, Baekhyun let out the most high-pitched scream he'd probably ever heard from a person with a dick. 

Baekhyun slammed open the bathroom door, scaring off any remnant of sleep in Kyungsoo's eyes. His brows furrowed as he took a look at his roommate, who was holding his phone out to him with the most terrified expression on his face.

"Fucking what, Byun Baekhyun?" he asked, grabbing the phone out of his hand and trying to make sense of what he was looking at. 

"I fucked up, Kyungsoo." the other replied, scrunching up the hem of his shirt in his hands. "I accidentally sent Chanyeol the wrONG NUDE!" he exclaimed, hands coming up to replace the shirt with his silver hair. "I SENT HIM A FAILED NUDE KYUNGSOO!" he wallowed, collapsing to the floor in a heap of limbs.

Kyungsoo took a look at the picture, ignoring Baekhyun's daily dramatics. He let out a snort at the unsexy attempt, incredibly amused at the sudden development in the worst love story he's ever heard. 

"You're so fucking ugly, Byun." he commented, zooming into his face in the photograph, where Baekhyun looked to be almost swallowing his shirt.

Baekhyun whined from his spot on the floor. "That's it. Say goodbye to the greatest love of my life."

"You know, you should really audition for the Theater BFA." Kyungsoo commented offhandedly, focused on the photograph. 

Suddenly, the phone in his hand dinged with a notification, and almost instantly, the dark-haired boy burst into a cackle, flicking the phone over to the end of his bed. "You and him are meant to be, how disgusting."

Baekhyun perked up from his spot on the floor, grabbing his phone from where it landed on the bed and taking a look at the picture Chanyeol had sent him as a reply. 

The taller boy had sent him an image of him shirtless and wearing nothing but cookie monster boxers  _ ('where'd he get those?') _ . He was doing a handstand against the door to his dorm room, looking wobbly even through the static image. He had opaque sunglasses on despite the space being shaded by purple LED lights. 

Even in such a ridiculous position, Baekhyun could easily admire the athlete's physique. Chanyeol had the most exquisite set of abs he'd ever seen in his life, and his skin was all tanned and glorious, and  _ wow _ was Baekhyun horny.

His phone dinged again, and he looked underneath the picture to spot a new message from Chanyeol.

_ 'You caught me off-guard, so this is the best I can do.'  _ It read, making Baekhyun break out in a lovestruck grin that made Kyungsoo groan from the other side of the room.

"Kyungsoo, I love him." he said, eyes glued to the picture Chanyeol had sent him.

"I know," his roommate replied. "Now let me sleep." 

* * *

To Sehun and Kyungsoo's relief, the two boys had spent the rest of the night involved with themselves. They had stayed up late into the night texting. Baekhyun took the opportunity to explain his failed nude attempt, and Chanyeol took the chance to apologize and explain for his first message. 

While they didn't take time to confess their crippling love for each other, they did spend their time together talking about everything that popped into their heads. Neither boy wanted the conversation to end, so they kept it going however they could.

Chanyeol told Baekhyun about his mom; how she had been diagnosed with a benign tumor that limited her mobility some days. He told Baekhyun about his public speaking anxiety and his childhood dream of playing in the NBA. In turn, Baekhyun made sure to ask him many questions, which made Chanyeol feel comfortable since the other boy was so good at keeping conversations going. Baekhyun also shared some things about himself, like how his radio show created a chance to analyze his feelings and thoughts. He told Chanyeol how he had seen him play before, which got Chanyeol all flustered because of his tunnel vision. He explained to Chanyeol about his projects and his upcoming sophomore evaluation and how nervous he was about impressing his professors. In turn, Chanyeol made sure to ask Baekhyun plenty of questions relating to his project, hoping he could be helpful if just a little bit.

It wasn't until 3am rolled around that they both relented their texting and mutually decided that it was time for bed. They had made no promises to speak the following day or to meet up in the future. Nevertheless, the air between them had been cleared and free for the first time in almost two years, which gave them both a wonderful sense of excitement and happiness for things to come.

Neither of them would ever admit they dreamt of each other that night.

* * *

Coincidentally, Chanyeol had a home game going on that weekend. 

Not coincidentally, Chanyeol had asked Baekhyun if he would come, unbeknownst that Baekhyun had already separated that time for him on his calendar. 

It was all very civil. Baekhyun said yes to him immediately. Chanyeol told him to meet up with Sehun, as he was under the impression Sehun attended all his games. Baekhyun agreed and immediately harassed Sehun through text for lying to his gullible giant. 

_ 'Who the fuck are you to judge?' _ the older had replied, and yeah, touché, but still.

Saturday evening rolled around then, and Baekhyun was getting ready to meet up with Sehun. He had employed the assistance of his studio-mate Seulgi and her impeccable eye for fashion. Seulgi was a junior like Sehun and Chanyeol; she was also arguably the most talented painter in the curriculum right now. She and Baekhyun had bonded that semester because they discovered they both agreed on everything during one of their studio classes. Baekhyun had a lot of friends, but Seulgi was probably one of his favorites.

"Babe, you look absolutely delectable. I could eat you. Can I eat you? I'm gonna eat your ass like it's cake."

"You always know just what to say to me, beautiful." Baekhyun laughed, blush high on his cheekbones, whether from his makeup or the comment, even he didn't know.

Baekhyun and Seulgi had currently set up camp in the junior's on-campus apartment. They were crowded in the living room, Seulgi's wall mirror propped against the wall and a sea of clothes all over the couch. Baekhyun had brought many of his favorite pieces, but he and Seulgi had also gone shopping beforehand. All of Seulgi's roommates were still out of the apartment, whether in class or clubs or just smoking weed in the woods outback  _ (cough, Wendy, cough).  _

As a treat, Baekhyun had sponsored the alcohol for the evening. He'd made some concoction of vodka and four venti Starbucks Refreshers, and now both he and his number one girl were way too tipsy for 4pm. 

The duo was currently on the floor, cuddled together like a couple of lovers. Baekhyun had his legs stretched out in front of him and was cradling Seulgi in his lap, arms wound around her waist. Seulgi had an arm around his neck, face close as she applied some tint on the inner part of his lips.

"You look so pretty, babe. Can I kiss you?" she asked, looking way too proud of her work. "When God told me I could paint canvasses, he didn't tell me I could beat faces too. What an unfair man." 

Baekhyun snorted, eyes closed and mouth slightly opened, giving the girl full reign. "How humble."

Seulgi smiled and hopped off Baekhyun's lap, pulling him up with her and turning him towards the mirror. "What do you think?"

Baekhyun took a good look at himself. Whenever he went to Chanyeol's games, he never really put much effort or cared about what he wore. The audience was always thin, and Chanyeol never really paid attention. This time was different, though. Chanyeol had not only personally invited him, but he also hoped they could meet up afterward. Hopefully, this was the look to accomplish just that. 

Seulgi had put him in an all-black ensemble. She gave him black cargo pants that were tapered at the end and tucked slightly into high-top black Doc Martins. He had a black graphic tee with a bright orange design tucked into his pants, and Seulgi had lent him some chains for the loops. She had layered some necklaces on him and had given him a chain for his left ear. Finally, she gave him a black denim coat for the spring chill. 

His eyes were lined with a dark brown pencil for the makeup. Seulgi had applied matching orange eyeshadow to his outer corner and lower lash line. His lip tint was a natural shade of mauve, and Seulgi had applied some light blush on his high cheekbones.

"I'm sorry. Who's the witch in this apartment, you or Yeri? How is this me?" he asked, inspecting his appearance and posing in the mirror, absolutely feeling himself.

Seulgi laughed and took out her phone. "I'll take payment for my services in the form of Insta pics, please, and thank you."

She grabbed a black bucket hat from the mess of clothes and flipped it on her head, standing next to Baekhyun and posing with him. The boy was all done up, and all she was wearing was a stripped green crop top, mom jeans, and butterfly clips in her hair. Nevertheless, they complemented each other perfectly. 

* * *

"Oh, Seulgi updated her insta."

"Who's Seulgi?" Chanyeol asked.

"VA babe," his friend Tao replied, "Literally the love of my life. I have notifs on for her. That's how much I love her."

"That's not really surprising Tao, you have notifs on for all the hot girls on campus." Luhan countered, receiving a french fry in his shirt as a consequence. 

Tao and Luhan were on the basketball team along with Chanyeol. Tao was known as the party king. He not only threw the best parties but was the guy to know and the person to go to on the latest on-campus gossip. Tao was also a well-known womanizer but swung any and all ways. It just wasn't his fault he could bat as well as he could receive. 

Luhan, on the other hand, was a very studious student. He was a psychology major and enjoyed his major immensely. He could probably rival Sehun on his reading prowess but preferred academic texts over literature. 

The trio were hanging around the dining hall before they got ready for their game that night. They were just about done with their meal for the evening but had a solid hour before they had to head over to the gym. Their time at the moment was being spent people-watching (a favorite pass time of Tao's).

"Oh! Baekhyun's on her page." he said, Cheshire grin on his face as he gave Chanyeol an amused glance. 

Chanyeol, bless his soul, fell right for the bait. The lanky player choked on his fruit juice at the sound of Baekhyun's name, giving Tao curious eyes but not wanting to verbalize it.

Tao, ever the pleaser, simply turned his phone over to Chanyeol with the same grin. Chanyeol snatched it out of his hand without a second thought.

Seulgi had posted a total of 3 pictures of her and Baekhyun on her Instagram page. The first picture was of her and Baekhyun reflected in the mirror. Baekhyun had an arm wound around her waist, head leaning on her shoulder as they embraced, posing with a sideways glance. Seulgi had an arm around his neck and a leg hiked up on his waist.

The second picture was of them in a similar pose, but Baekhyun had a hand gripping the thigh up to his waist. His second hand had snaked up to her neck, turning her head to place a smooch on her cheek. Seulgi, in turn, was wearing a broad and pearly smile. 

In the final picture, Baekhyun was carrying Seulgi on his waist while the girl locked her ankles at his back. Both his hands were on her ass, gripping tightly as he nosed underneath her chin. Seulgi was facing the mirror as Baekhyun did this, and the hand holding onto his neck was giving the finger. 

Luhan had been looking over Chanyeol's shoulder as he swiped through the pictures, seeing how the other's face dropped dejectedly one by one. Once Chanyeol had reached the final image, Luhan kicked Tao's leg and gave him a death glare. Tao was never one to conceal anything, so he instantly whined in pain.

"What'd I do?!" he asked, rubbing his knee.

Chanyeol passed the phone back over to Tao and sat back on his chair. 

"Are you okay, Chanyeol?" Luhan asked, placing a hand on the taller's shoulder.

Chanyeol turned to him with a sullen smile. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Those are some pretty racy pictures." Tao commented, which earned him another kick from Luhan.

Now, Chanyeol understood that he and Baekhyun were nothing. He understood that very well. He could never strike up a proper conversation with the boy. They only started speaking somewhat conversationally this past week. He understood, logically, that there was a lot about Baekhyun that he didn't know yet. Rationally, he realized he couldn't be jealous.

However, discerning logic from the pressure he felt in his chest was really difficult. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (12.31.2020 - minor edits)


	4. Chapter 4

Chanyeol didn't like how his chest felt lighter at the sight of Baekhyun with Sehun, excluding Seulgi. Any other day and Chanyeol would be speechless at how beautiful Baekhyun looked, dripping in all black and chains. Today, however, that outfit just made a pit drop in his stomach as it reminded him of Seulgi.

Seulgi, Seulgi, Seulgi. Chanyeol couldn't stop thinking about her. About her with Baekhyun. About them. Together. 

He couldn't help it, not with the amount of doubt that circled his mind about where he stood with Baekhyun. Were they friends now? Were they "talking"? What were they doing? 

Chanyeol truly disliked how his jealous side needed a label to cling to.

He didn't want to put him and Baekhyun in a box because Baekhyun didn't seem like the type to enjoy that. Nevertheless, Chanyeol needed a label. He needed to know to keep his insecurities at bay. He needed to be able to say: "Hi, this is Baekhyun, my friend/lover/acquaintance/boyfriend/love-of-my-life." But he couldn't. And in the last hour, it had been eating him up inside.

As he stared, Baekhyun spotted him then, and the younger's lips stretched out into the most adorable square smile Chanyeol had ever seen. Baekhyun waved him over, and though he didn't want to, Chanyeol jogged to where the boy was sitting with Sehun.

"Baekhyun! I'm happy to see you." he said, coming up and giving the sophomore one of his lopsided grins. He didn't see Sehun's suspicious glance at the action.

Baekhyun simply blinked at him as a reply, and Chanyeol found it a bit strange but decided not to comment. He turned to Sehun then and gave his roommate a tight-lipped smile, and Sehun didn't have to ask to know something was bothering him.

"Who are you playing against today, Chanyeol?" Baekhyun asked, seemingly out of his trance. Chanyeol hated how his heart thumped when looking into Baekhyun's eyes. They were always the most mesmerizing shade of brown.  _ ('All shades of brown are brown, you doof.' Sehun would retort).  _

"Neuberger. They're out of state. This is an unofficial match since we lost at the spring preliminaries. We're not very good, but it's okay, we have fun." Chanyeol replied, smiling a bit embarrassedly. 

"I've seen you play before Chanyeol, you're amazing." Baekhyun complimented.  _ 'Was he blushing?' _ , he noticed. Chanyeol had eyes too.

"I'll make sure to try hard today too, so I can meet your expectations." he replied, giving Baekhyun a slow run-over. 

Then, Chanyeol got an idea. He didn't know where he got the courage, perhaps partially from his competitive spirit. He didn't want to lose to Seulgi and was frustrated with Baekhyun's cluelessness. 

He hesitated a bit when he remembered Baekhyun was already wearing a jacket, but he gave himself one last push.  _ 'Remember, Chanyeol,'  _ he told himself, unzipping his black training jacket.  _ 'Don't lose to Seulgi.' _

Since Chanyeol was already on the court, he was wearing his all-black Jordans and bright orange tank and shorts. He'd coordinated his socks and uniform, and his name was printed on both his jersey and training jacket. 

Decidedly, he wasn't wearing his jacket any longer and was instead holding it out to Baekhyun, who was looking at him strangely again.

"Could you keep this warm for me, Baekhyun?" he asked, taking a deep breath before releasing it with a purposeful smirk. "I tend to get cold after playing." 

* * *

It was the most disgusting lie he's ever heard in his life. 

He could have smacked him.

You know what, maybe he would. Sehun couldn't believe his ears.

More often than not, Chanyeol arrived at the dorm from his games straight to the A/C. He would plop himself on a chair across from the vents for the next hour! And that's being generous!

Somehow, Chanyeol's ploy was working, and Baekhyun looked like he was about to pass out. Due to this fact alone, Sehun didn't take the jacket himself and chucked it halfway across the court!

"Chanyeol, can I talk to you for a second?" Sehun called out then, and the way his roommate looked at him made him scowl. 

The motherfucker forgot he was there!

"Come hither, you lanky bastard." He continued, unprompted, turning on his heel and walking ahead with the giant nervously in tow. 

"What's up?" Chanyeol asked, wringing his hands. They were a considerable distance away from Baekhyun, but Sehun noticed the younger hadn't even moved. He was frozen stiff.

"You broke Baekhyun!" Sehun replied, making an exasperated gesture towards the statue holding Chanyeol's jacket.

Chanyeol turned around then to look and let out a little accomplished chuckle. He turned back to Sehun with a triumphant grin.

The grin earned him a swift smacked to the side of his head.

"Bro! What the fuck!" Chanyeol whined, holding onto the side of his head with his usual pout.

"Fucking good to have you back now. What's wrong with you?" Sehun asked, looking very much the mother hen he didn't want to be.

"There's nothing wrong with me."

"Bullshit."

"I'm serious."

"Chanyeol."

"Sehun."

Sehun raised his arm again, and Chanyeol assumed a defensive pose. In retaliation, Chanyeol used his long legs to kick at Sehun. However, Sehun also had long legs, so he simply dodged. Sehun went for the attack again, but Chanyeol bent halfway and tackled him. He pinned Sehun's arms above his head and dragged him to the back of the bleachers. 

"Let me go!" Sehun demanded, and Chanyeol promptly dropped him behind the court, away from prying eyes.

"You need to calm down." Chanyeol said, bending down on his knees. 

"You need to own up." Sehun countered, sitting up and trying to reclaim whatever dignity he had left. 

"Listen, you're right okay? I'm not doing too hot." Chanyeol said, and Sehun managed to catch that slimmer of vulnerability and calmed down somewhat. "Baekhyun's got me feeling some type of way."

"Why?" Sehun asked, sitting up cross-legged. 

Chanyeol took out his phone then and looked up Seulgi's profile.  _ (He'd never admit he memorized her username after spending the past hour glaring at her page.)  _ He flipped his phone to show Sehun the offending images and found solace in the way the other frowned.

"I know, right? They're pretty intense." he said, matching the other's frown. 

"To be honest, Chanyeol, they're only intense because we've never seen Baekhyun do these. However," Sehun began, zooming out of the selected post and showing Chanyeol further down Seulgi's page. "Seulgi seems to pose like this with others too."

Sehun selected a particular image of Seulgi with her roommate Wendy. Wendy was wearing wide-legged mom jeans, a sports bra, Vans, and a black beanie. Seulgi wore a similar outfit to the one she wore today; the only noticeable difference is a maroon crop and a black beanie in favor of the butterfly clips. 

Seulgi sat in between Wendy's legs, phone in hand, facing a mirror. Wendy had a hand snaked into Seulgi's top. Her nose was pressed against Seulgi's cheek, and she was wearing a flirtatious smirk. Seulgi smiled into the camera from the attention, legs crossed, and torso pressed against Wendy's chest. 

"I see what you're saying, but," Chanyeol began, licking his lips nervously. "Who's to say she didn't date this girl and is now dating Baekhyun?"

"Baekhyun," Sehun answered. "Baekhyun's to say. You should ask him."

"I don't think I can do that, man," Chanyeol replied, taking back his phone from Sehun's offered hand. "I don't think I can hear him say they're a thing."

Sehun sighed and crossed his arms. "Okay, tell you what, I'll do you a solid and tell you something nice."

"Okay?" Chanyeol responded, skeptical. 

"Baekhyun and I didn't meet that day in the library. We actually had a class together last year."

"Okay?" Chanyeol responded again. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Baekhyun and I became friends during that class. And he's confided in me since then. However, since you're my best friend, you take precedence."

"Sehun. Please get to the point."

"Baekhyun doesn't like Seulgi. He likes you."

* * *

After Chanyeol and Sehun disappeared from sight, Baekhyun managed to learn how to breathe again. He'd been holding tightly onto Chanyeol's jacket, nose pressed to it to hide his smile, a bit high off Chanyeol's scent.

Quickly, he shrugged off his denim jacket and slipped on Chanyeol's. It was warm and fit nicely. Since it was tailored to Chanyeol, the hem landed around his thighs, and the sleeves bunched up at his wrist. Still, he liked it, so he zipped it up high to revel in it. 

As he was lost in thought, a basketball bounced his way, landing near his spot on the bleachers. Without a second thought, Baekhyun bent down to pick it up. A boy around his height with dark blonde hair jogged towards him then.

"Wait, is that Chanyeol's jacket?" the boy said once he got within earshot. "Silver hair... you're Baekhyun, aren't you?"

Baekhyun furrowed his brows. "Who wants to know?" he asked, paranoid.

"I'm Luhan. I'm on the team with Chanyeol. Well--obviously." Luhan said, pointing at his uniform. 

With a sound of acknowledgment, Baekhyun bounced the ball back over to Luhan, who received it with no problem. "Chanyeol talks about me?" he asked, looking aside bashfully, which Luhan felt was uncharacteristic of him.

"You don't talk about him?" he asked, giving the other a knowing smirk. "It's only natural to talk about the person you like."

Baekhyun shrugged, smiling to himself. He looked down at his hands, which were clutching softly onto the sleeves of the jacket. Luhan, however, wasn't pleased with his lack of response.

"You don't seem surprised about that." Luhan pointed out. "You know Chanyeol likes you?"

Baekhyun scoffed. "Well, he's not really hiding it."

"But you are?" Luhan countered, which made Baekhyun bristle. 

_ 'Was he picking a fight right now?' _

"That's really none of your business." Baekhyun said, crossing his arms defensively. He hiked a leg up on the bleacher across from him and leaned on his thigh, looking down at Luhan. "Who the fuck are you to ask?"

"I'm his friend."

"I don't care."

If Luhan was anything, he was fiercely loyal. He didn't  _ mean  _ to pick a fight with Baekhyun, but the younger just didn't sit well with him since he saw those pictures earlier. He didn't want Baekhyun to mess with Chanyeol, mostly since Luhan felt protective of him. In Luhan's eyes, Chanyeol was too pure and gullible. It was a complete coincidence that his ball bounced Baekhyun's way, but once he spotted who it was, he knew he couldn't help speaking his mind.  _ 'Why are you like that? Can't you mind your own business?'  _ Tao would sometimes ask. And honestly, no, he couldn't. If he could help his friend by being nosy, then he would do it. There was no question about it. There was no doubt in his mind. 

"Look, I didn't come here to argue with you--" Luhan started.

"Could've fooled me."

"I  _ mean, _ " Luhan stressed, "I came for the ball, but since I have you here, all I'm saying is to watch yourself. Chanyeol isn't someone you can just fuck around with."

Baekhyun, clearly, didn't take that too well. "What the fuck are you telling me right now?" he asked, lips arching to a toothy scowl. "With what right do you have to say that to me?"

"You fucking heard me, dude. Watch your back." Luhan continued, standing his ground.

"Are you fucking threatening me right now?" the other seethed. 

Luhan quickly acted. "Do you wanna fucking go?"

"Right here, right now, asshole!"

"Ooooookaaaaaaaayyyy and, that's it for that." Tao said, appearing out of thin air and stepping in between Baekhyun and Luhan. 

The two boys were, quite literally, at each other's throats. With each threat, they had stepped closer, both not wanting to back down. Luhan had stepped up to the bleacher, and Baekhyun had risen to his full height. They both held harsh glares against each other, and the people around them were beginning to whisper. 

The moment Tao noticed, he was jogging over. Luhan was small but feisty, and he could tell Baekhyun was cut from the same cloth. 

"Fuck both of y'all and your Taurus asses. Step back. Now." Tao demanded, pushing at both their chests. 

Thankfully, Baekhyun was familiar enough with Tao to listen to him. They were common party buddies and got along well, though they never met outside the dance floor or beer pong table. 

"Control him, Tao." Baekhyun spat out, giving Luhan another glare. "Or I will. 

"Save your shit, Byun. You're not touching him. You think Chanyeol would like that?"

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence before Baekhyun  _ snapped.  _ He didn't like that at all. Not one bit. He wasn't about to be controlled in any way, especially not with threats about Chanyeol. 

"Fuck this," he murmured, looking down. "I don't fucking need this from you or that asshole." Baekhyun spat out, pointing to Luhan. He grabbed his denim jacket and bounced down the bleachers, storming away.

Tao cursed and followed him. "Where are you going?" he asked. "I thought you were staying for the game! What about Chanyeol?" 

Baekhyun turned around immediately. "Back off. Say Chanyeol's name one more fucking time. I will fuck your shit right up."

"What's going on?" a voice asked. 

A very familiar voice.

Both Tao and Baekhyun stopped and turned to their side. Chanyeol and Sehun had stepped out from behind the bleachers and had caught the last exchange. Even Luhan, who was coming up to back Tao, looked a bit apologetic as he saw Chanyeol.

"What's going on, Tao?" Chanyeol continued. 

Tao didn't even know what to say. How was he going to explain this situation to Chanyeol? He didn't fully understand what had happened! 

"Baekhyun, are you crying?" Sehun asked then, coming up to the silver-hair boy's side. 

At the sight of Chanyeol, Baekhyun fell into some sort of pessimistic state of despair. He had concluded, by himself, right there and then that this was over. Whatever they were doing was over. 

He took off Chanyeol's jacket and slapped it into the taller's chest. Nobody had the chance to stop him or say anything. They all looked at the other in shock. Baekhyun's eyes were glassy and teary, and he was on the brink of breaking down. His face was red, and his chest was still. The boy wasn't even breathing correctly anymore. None of the guys present had ever seen him look so sad before.

Baekhyun turned on his heel and ran off. He jogged out the court, and only Sehun followed. Chanyeol, Tao, and Luhan could only stare as they disappeared from sight. 

Chanyeol turned to his teammates. "What did you do?" he asked them, cradling the jacket against his chest.

Before Tao and Luhan could even attempt an explanation, their coach's whistle blew, signaling the players that it was time to huddle up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (12.31.2020 - minor edits)


	5. Chapter 5

Chanyeol was entirely off his game the whole night. It was probably the worst he had played all season. He was selfish with the ball and avoided passing it over to either Tao or Luhan. His coach had tore him a new one the whole time from the sidelines until he couldn't take it anymore and benched him. 

He always hated being benched, but he especially disliked it today. All he could think about was Baekhyun and his tears and how it wrenched his heart tight to see him that sad. His muscles were buzzing with overexertion and the need to run to Baekhyun and set his mind at peace. He would tell him everything he wanted to hear if it meant he would stop crying.

Sehun hadn't returned since he ran after him, and he wasn't answering Chanyeol's texts either. He only hoped he was able to help Baekhyun through his sadness. He longed to be the one Baekhyun turned to, but he didn't deserve that right at the moment. 

The final whistle blew then, signaling the end of the game. Automatically, Chanyeol stood and slug his sports bag over his shoulder. He stuffed all his things in there and didn't care how they fit. He just needed to get out of there. 

So he did. He brushed past Tao and Luhan, who looked like they wanted to stop him and talk things through, but he had more important matters to attend to. He needed to find Baekhyun.

He pushed open the doors to the gym and felt his blood chill at the cold fall air outside. It was way too brisk for just some shorts and a jersey, hair and body wet from sweat, but again--he didn't care. He needed to find Baekhyun.

He pulled out his phone and gave Sehun a ring, only to have his roommate dismiss his call before he could connect.  _ He's probably still with Baekhyun,  _ he thought, and it made him feel better to know the younger one wasn't alone. 

He started running in the direction of the dorms, where he knew Baekhyun's room was.

* * *

Sehun had caught up to Baekhyun before he could go far. He followed the frustrated boy all the way over to the dining hall and watched him eat three whole cold bagels with barely smeared cream cheese. Sehun was a trooper--he only slightly winced in disgust.

"You could heat that up, you know," he told Baekhyun, sitting across from him in a booth as he watched the boy stuff his face like a chipmunk. "The toaster is literally  _ right there _ ." 

"Toasters are for pussies." Baekhyun mumbled, spitting bagel pieces all over the counter. 

Sehun, once again, winced. "Dildos are for pussies, Baekhyun."

"Not for gay pussies."

"You really need more lesbian friends."

"Will my new lesbian friends let me eat my bagel in peace?"

"They might teach you a thing or two about sticking your tongue through the bagel hole."

This time, it was Baekhyun's turn to wince. "Sehun, you're the worst conversationalist known to man."

The junior shrugged. "I've been called worse."

And then, Baekhyun snorted. Like a dam breaking, Baekhyun started laughing around the half-eaten bagel pieces still in his mouth. Sehun joined him at first, laughing politely to keep the mood up but then Baekhyun's laughter switched from amusing to terrifying. He started cackling loudly and letting out loud hoots that caught the attention of everyone around them. Sehun shifted uncomfortably at the attention, but Baekhyun threw his head back and  _ scream-laughed  _ into the room. When he brought his head back down, he was crying again. And as fast as he started laughing, he stopped in favor of sobbing instead. Mouth still full with hard bagel pieces and nose dripping snot, Baekhyun looked so ugly and so sad as he openly cried in his seat across Sehun. 

"Baekhyun..." Sehun called, head dipped down to hide from everyone's worried glances. "Let's go to your dorm room, yeah?"

"But Kyungsoo doesn't like me!" Baekhyun cried loudly, like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Sehun learned quickly that a sad Baekhyun is twenty times more annoying than a regular Baekhyun. 

"Who doesn't like you?" the boys heard a voice ask. They both turned their heads to look up at a bemused Kyungsoo, holding a plate of hot food in one hand and a drink in another. "Scoot over, Sehun," he commanded, and the other automatically complied. "Now, why are you crying, Byun?" the boy asked, slipping into the booth across from him.

"You don't like me!" Baekhyun accused, and Sehun glanced at Kyungsoo only to find the other was thoroughly unamused. 

"That's not new to you, idiot," Kyungsoo replied, taking in a spoonful of rice. "Now, why are you really crying?"

And, like magic, Baekhyun's sobs subsided into sniffles and soft puppy-like whimpers. He wiped at his eyes with his hands until Sehun passed him a napkin, which he used to loudly blow his nose in. Kyungsoo and Sehun mirrored each other with equal looks of disgust.

"I ruined my chances with Chanyeol," Baekhyun began, red puffy eyes utterly downcast against the counter. "He probably hates me now."

"Come on, Baekhyun, you know that's not true," Sehun responded, leaning his body across the counter to try and find Baekhyun's line of sight. "Chanyeol likes you. A lot. He wouldn't hate you over this."

Baekhyun glanced up at Sehun's eyes. The older gave him a soft grin, trying to will Baekhyun into believing his words. 

"He would if Luhan talked shit about me to him. Why wouldn't he? Luhan's probably telling him how much of an asshole I am. How I'm so mean and how I don't deserve him. And you know what? He's right! I'm such a fucking asshole that I picked a fight with one of his friends."

"You picked a fight with one of his friends?" Kyungsoo asked, back in the conversation with surprised eyes. 

"Well--he picked a fight with me. But I pushed him." 

"Isn't that shared blame, though? Luhan's just as guilty."

"But Chanyeol doesn't hear that side of the story. All he's probably being told is that I'm awful."

"Getting him to hear your side of the story is an easy fix, Baekhyun," Sehun said, pulling his phone from his pocket and swiping it open. He opened his message app and turned the phone over to Baekhyun to read his thread with Chanyeol.

Baekhyun saw that Sehun had a missed facetime call from Chanyeol, as well as multiple messages from his crush. 

_ 'Are you with Baekhyun?'  _ The first message read.

_ Where are you guys? _

_ Is he okay? _

_ Is he still crying? _

_ Hey, the game's over. Where are you guys? _

_ Are you still with Baekhyun? I'm assuming yes. _

_ Nobody's answering his door. Where are you guys? _

Baekhyun sniffled as he read over the messages. "God, he's so nice. I hate him," he said, words undermined by his lovestruck smile. 

Feeling accomplished, Sehun put his phone away and gave Kyungsoo a glance. He did a double-take at the other's empty plate of food, wondering when he devoured the whole thing.

"Well? Are you gonna meet him?" Kyungsoo asked, followed by a burp. "If you're leaving, please take these dishes for me. As payment for my friendship services."

Baekhyun pouted. "Why doesn't Sehun have to pay?"

"Sehun's getting me ice cream." Kyungsoo declared.

"I am?" The boy in question countered.

"You are." And that was that. 

* * *

After leaving Kyungsoo's dirty dishes, Baekhyun stepped out into the cold night with an open tab on his phone. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, Chanyeol's message thread open. Should he ask the boy to meet him at his studio?  _ 'That might be the best place to have a quiet conversation.'  _ he thought. And so, he did. 

* * *

Chanyeol was on his way to search the Visual Arts building when his phone vibrated in his hand. He quickly looked at the notification and felt his heart rate pick up at Baekhyun's name, his message asking him to meet at the boy's studio. 

The Graphic Design majors didn't typically have studios in the VA building. However, Baekhyun had pitched his case with the department's dean and was granted a space within the painter's studio. The painter's studio took up a whole chunk of the building's basement floor. It was divided into cubicle-like sections for each student. The room's center was occupied by long tables, free to use how the students deemed fit. 

Chanyeol was reasonably close to the building and quickly made his way to the lower level and into the expansive studio. The large room was mostly deserted, which made sense for a late Saturday night. The hour was close to midnight, but there were still some painters working hard on their pieces. Chanyeol made his way through the cubicles to spot Baekhyun and saw that almost everyone was wearing headphones and not paying him any mind. Some of them looked up as they sensed the presence of another person and were startled to see Chanyeol's tall frame in his bright orange jersey just lurking about. At the very least, he had the decency to give them an embarrassed smile before they ignored him again. He most definitely wasn't the weirdest thing that has happened in the room. 

After making his rounds, Chanyeol concluded that he got there before Baekhyun. He stood awkwardly near one of the long tables before deciding to sit on one and rest the bag over his shoulder on top. He let out a loud exhale as he caught his breath, but a sudden zap of anxiety made it stick right back in his throat. He wasn't good with feelings and dealing with them, something that surprised nobody. He could only ever articulate them sort of properly to Sehun, who could read him like one of his books and didn't let the boy bullshit him. 

The more he waited, the more his thoughts consumed him. His brain began to demonize Baekhyun, sending him images of the younger one laughing at him, rejecting him, and even punching him. He imagined a particular scenario where Baekhyun showed up wearing another guy's jacket and said hurtful things to him. That one really hurt, and it made his blood run cold and the tip of his fingers pale. His breathing began to shallow, and he was suddenly feeling suffocated.  _ 'Was it the heater?'  _ he asked himself, breaking into a cold sweat that he felt on his chest. The pressure there was insufferable, and he held a hand over his heart to check his pulse. He furrowed his brows in worry at the quick speed. 

"Are you okay?" he heard a sweet voice say, delicate and soft as the owner placed a hand on his shoulder. 

He looked up nervously and widened his eyes as he saw Seulgi. 

* * *

"Don't look so down, dude. All you have to do is say you're sorry." Tao said, slinging a wet towel over his shoulder. 

Tao and Luhan were in the locker room along with the rest of the team. They were showering, and the members were using the time post-game to murmur and gossip about their captain, Chanyeol. There was a lot of speculation going around the room about Chanyeol's focus during the game. Some of them were alarmed, surprised, that their captain would blunder on the court as much as he did. They were used to the easygoing and gentle demeanor he usually brought and not the  _ 'My Chemical Romance looking ass'  _ as one of the guys put it. 

Only Tao and Luhan were aware of what happened, and Luhan took Chanyeol's cold shoulder especially hard. 

"I have to be forgiven. It's not enough to say I'm sorry." Luhan replied, looking over at Tao and getting a face full of dick and balls. It seems the towel Tao had over his shoulder belonged initially around his waist. "Dude. Gross."

Tao grinned as a response, swinging his hips and letting his dick slap against his thighs. He seemed awfully pleased at the annoyed expression on Luhan's face. 

"Alright, fine. Party pooper." Tao relented, putting on a pair of briefs he had in his hand before plopping next to Luhan. "This is Chanyeol we're talking about. You know how sensitive he is. He'll come around, don't worry."

"Should I apologize to Baekhyun too?"

"That's not even a question, bud. If you want Chanyeol to forgive you, Baekhyun has to forgive you too."

Luhan huffed but nodded, accepting his fate. Silently, the two boys got dressed in their hoodies and fall coats before making their way out of the gym. Halfway to the dining hall, Luhan realized his time to apologize was coming up quicker than he wanted it to. Right in front of the building was Byun Baekhyun, staring right at him. 


	6. Chapter 6

Back at the studio, Chanyeol and Seulgi were huddled together in Baekhyun's cubicle. She had shown him the way after he mentioned he was waiting for said owner. She was now laughing at something he had said, and he wore an embarrassed grin at her response. 

"Baekhyun and I aren't dating, Chanyeol," she said, looking very amused by the idea. "I'm gay. And I have a girlfriend." She told him, turning her phone over to show her the same picture he had seen previously on her Instagram. "Pretty, isn't she? Her name's Wendy."

Chanyeol quickly realized that Seulgi was an angel. Apparently, she had experience talking through her older sister Irene's panic attacks. She recognized the signs of one while looking at him and approached to offer her help. She calmly explained what was happening and smiled as Chanyeol nodded dumbly and did breathing exercises at her instruction. She offered him her water and even gave him one of her butterfly clips to cheer him up (which he will never admit, but it did wonders to uplift his mood. The clip was placed over his ear).

Seulgi expertly got him to calm down, and Chanyeol was happy for her company. He had never had a panic attack before, so he didn't know what to do. He didn't even know he was having one. To him, panic attacks were things that crazy people had. Still, Seulgi shot down those misconceptions immediately and assured him that everyone can have one and that it's okay if you do. He quickly understood why Baekhyun had grown attached to her. 

"Doesn't Wendy mind when she sees the pictures you took with Baekhyun?" he asked her. Despite how friendly Seulgi was, he still held onto his jealousy from earlier. 

Seulgi patiently shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. "Wendy knows Baekhyun's gay. And if she didn't, one look at the pictures, and she would have known. Honestly, Chanyeol, did those pictures look even remotely straight to you?" 

Chanyeol rubbed his nape and chuckled awkwardly. "I just assume everyone is unless they tell me."

"I'm sure that works best outside campus, but in here, everyone is queer until proven straight." 

"Yeah, somehow I keep having to be reminded of that," he said, chuckling. "Thank you for talking to me, by the way."

Seulgi grinned, looking at Chanyeol in a way that reminded him of his mom. "Of course!" she exclaimed, ruffling his hair. "Baekhyun would kill me if I didn't help his lover boy out when I could."

Chanyeol beamed at her attention and gave her a shy smile. "Do you really think he likes me?" he asked, picking at his fingernails. 

Seulgi noticed and reached over with her hand to make him stop, meeting his eye level with a beam of her own. "I think he likes you more than you think. But you won't be convinced until he tells you himself, huh," she stated, and Chanyeol shook his head. 

"You're right. I think this has dragged on for way too long. I'll confess tonight." he stated, a determined gleam in his eye. 

Satisfied, Seulgi stood up. "Then I'm making myself scarce so you can prepare. I was on my way out to meet Wendy when I saw you. Remember to breathe through any anxiety, okay? If anything, Baekhyun is good at handling panic attacks as well, so he can help you. Remember to schedule some time with the counseling center next week."

Chanyeol couldn't help but laugh at her motherly tone, nodding in assurance. "I will, mom." 

"Literally,  _ why _ does everyone call me that!" she huffed, ruffling his hair again as punishment. She gave him a quick wave and walked out of sight, leaving Chanyeol feeling a lot lighter than before. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Baekhyun was stopped right outside the dining hall by Luhan, who stood in a defensive stance for some reason. Baekhyun just rolled his eyes at his antics before pocketing his phone and brushing past him, giving the basketball players a glare as he did. 

Luhan and Tao made eye contact and nodded before they grabbed one of Baekhyun's arms each, quickly lifting the skinny boy with brute athlete strength. 

Baekhyun squeaked in response as his feet dangled in the air. "What the  _ fuck _ !" he exclaimed, kicking out to try and free himself from their grasp. However, both boys had bulging muscles and impressive upper body strength. Baekhyun blinked away a sudden jolt of sexual attraction at being manhandled, filing that information to explore later. 

The boys dragged him over to a park bench, ignoring the way he screamed for help. Kyungsoo and Sehun, who had been watching from the moment Baekhyun was picked up, lazily trailed their eyes after the triad in interest. They had just exited the dining hall, not expecting Baekhyun to still be in the area. They each had a soft-serve cone in hand and were licking at the dessert as they watched. A random student who had heard Baekhyun's cries for help approached, but the duo gave the student a shake of their heads and a wave of their hands.  _ 'Nah, buddy, don't worry about it.'  _ they seemed to say with their eyes. So the student didn't, and neither did them as they walked away undisturbed by the chaos they were leaving behind. 

Baekhyun, who caught them abandoning him, also filed the information for later. 

Once Baekhyun was shoved into a nearby bench, both boys loomed over him, and as the smaller of the three, the food chain had finally made sense. His high school biology teacher would be proud. 

"Look, if you're gonna beat me up, just avoid the money-maker, alright?"

"We're not here to beat you up, Baekhyun," Tao said.

"I'm trying to apologize." Luhan followed.

"You're doing a shit job so far, buddy." Baekhyun countered, not wanting to be the one to relent. 

And so, Tao did. He rolled his eyes and plopped next to Baekhyun, giving the boy some breathing room. "I hate that we're all Tauruses right now."

"Oh, shut  _ up _ ." Luhan and Baekhyun said, simultaneously. Perhaps Tao's astrology nonsense wasn't so far off. The man in question sure looked pleased at their response.

"You know, you two are really similar," Tao began, "you guys would be great friends if you tried to get to know each other."

"I'm not like this asshole!" Baekhyun and Luhan said, looking very much like two sides of one Gemini. 

Tao rolled his eyes before giving Luhan a pointed glare. Luhan received it and seemed to shrink in embarrassment under his judgment. He turned to Baekhyun then with a huff, and the other crossed his arms defensively. 

" _ Look, _ " Luhan began, "I'm sorry about before. Honestly, I don't even remember why it got heated. All I know is that we both care about Chanyeol, although differently. I was just trying to be a good friend. Can you understand that? It wasn't my intention to make you cry or anything like that."

Baekhyun bit his lip throughout the apology, looking miffed that Luhan seemed to have gotten the moral high ground. "I'm sorry too," he began to say, "You didn't make me cry. I just panicked because Chanyeol saw me. Even though I picked a fight with you, I can't really handle confrontation with people I love."

"Oh my God, I understand that." Luhan replied, "I usually just give in until I can't anymore."

"Same here." Tao joined, "Fucking Tauruses." 

* * *

After Baekhyun and Luhan begrudgingly made up, the boys parted ways. Tao and Luhan made their way to catch the dining hall before it closed for the night, and Baekhyun made his way to the VA building with a lighter heart.

The studio, thankfully, was as quiet as Baekhyun hoped it would be. It was never truly empty, as he knew, but people wouldn't be paying any attention to them. 

He did a quick sweep of the room with his eyes and didn't spot Chanyeol, so he furrowed his brows in worry. He hoped Chanyeol hadn't gotten tired of waiting and left. 

He walked over to his cubicle, wondering if the taller had made his way there, and he was surprised to see he had. Chanyeol was engrossed in a piece of paper on his small desk and was drawing something with Baekhyun's charcoal pencil. Curious, Baekhyun snuck his way closer to peek over his shoulder and saw Chanyeol drawing what looked to be a human...or at least it looked human? Drawing prowess aside, the boy looked very much at peace in the space, which made Baekhyun's heart soar just the tiniest bit. 

"What are you drawing?" he whispered, hoping not to startle Chanyeol. 

However, Chanyeol startled easily, so he couldn't help but jump in his seat. "Baekhyun!" he said, turning around to look at him. "Sorry, I used your stuff without asking--"

"That's okay," Baekhyun replied, giving him a gentle smile. "What are you drawing?" he asked again. 

"Oh..." Chanyeol exhaled, hiding his work with his giant hand. "Don't laugh, okay? But after seeing your sketchbook, I kinda got curious to see if I could draw too," he said, motioning to Baekhyun's open sketchbook on the table before him. The drawing in place was a portrait of Kyungsoo on his dorm bed, watching a movie with headphones on. Baekhyun had drawn it as practice a couple weeks ago. "I now know I'm on par with a kindergartener." 

Baekhyun snorted and held back a laugh, looking at Chanyeol's pitiful drawing with a fond look. "It's not that bad." he lied, and Chanyeol gave him a disbelieving look. "I would put you on par with a second-grader at least."

Chanyeol laughed at that, which made Baekhyun smile. 

"I have some drawings of you too, if you'd like to see them." Baekhyun offered without thinking, before blushing slightly as he realized. "In a very not-creepy way, of course."

Chanyeol beamed at his offer. "Do you really? Please show them to me!" he exclaimed, smile wide and blinding. Baekhyun, again, was reminded how fucking adorable Chanyeol was. 

Lovestruck, Baekhyun hurried over to a recycled Amazon box on the opposite side of his cubicle that held various sketchbooks and filled canvases. He lifted a few sketchbooks before pulling one from the bottom, handing it over to Chanyeol. "This one is all you. I go to your games often and usually just draw you. I have no idea how basketball works." he shyly confessed, a light blush on his cheeks and nose. 

Chanyeol mirrored his blush as he grabbed the sketchbook, flipping it open gently and going through the filled pages with twinkling eyes. Each picture was so expertly drawn that Chanyeol barely believed they were of himself. Each page held Chanyeol in a different pose. Sitting, playing, jumping, blocking, smiling, scoring...Baekhyun had seemed to catch all of his expressions. His heart fluttered as he reached one that was filled in with colored pencils. It was one of just him waving at someone, but it was shaded and highlighted so wonderfully that it looked almost like a picture. 

"I usually just try and take pictures of you until I find one I like. Then I use it as a reference during the game. That's why I still haven't learned how basketball works." Baekhyun rambled, needing to fill the space with sound. "Don't worry, I delete all the pictures afterward. But I like to keep these. They help me practice, and I love doing detailed work with your drawings." Baekhyun paused, but Chanyeol was still entranced with the colored drawing. "Sorry, is it weird? I can stop if you want."

Chanyeol hugged the book and gave Baekhyun an offended stare, seemingly out of his reverie. "These are so fucking good, Baek. I wish you had shown me these earlier."

Baekhyun blushed again but pushed his embarrassment aside in favor of a teasing grin. "Baek?" he asked, tilting his head in faux confusion. 

"Baek _ hyun _ ," Chanyeol emphasized, neck utterly flushed but a similar teasing look rivaling the other's smile. 

"No, no, please, call me Baek. I like it. You can call me other names too." Baekhyun set the trap.

"Like what?" Chanyeol replied. Hook, line, and  _ sinker _ . 

" _ Daddy _ ." 

" **_ Baekhyun! _ ** " Chanyeol screeched, scandalized. Baekhyun simply laughed before taking the sketchbook from Chanyeol's hands and setting it aside. 

He stepped closer and loomed over Chanyeol's sitting form. He leaned his body on his desk, looking down at the older boy. Chanyeol took a look at him, the younger still dolled up in black eyeliner, chains, and docs. He looked down at himself, feeling a shiver crawl up his spine. He remembered he was just wearing his jersey and suddenly clammed up embarrassedly again. 

"Are you cold?" Baekhyun asked, noticing his shiver.

"A bit. Can you pass me my bag?" Chanyeol asked, and Baekhyun complied. Chanyeol pulled out the track jacket he had given Baekhyun earlier in the night and pulled it out. He made quick work of putting it on and zipping it up, burrowing into the turtleneck collar. 

Baekhyun wanted to take a picture of that moment to draw later since Chanyeol looked adorable in his turtleneck jacket and a butterfly clip in his hair. However, the object's return seemed to place Baekhyun back on track, and he bit his lip as he turned the words over in his head. 

"Hey Chanyeol?" he called out, and the older looked up at him questioningly. "I'm sorry about before. At the game. I didn't mean to do... all of that. Luhan and I talked it out. We're good now."

"You are?"

"Yeah. Sort of. I'll probably punch Luhan one day, but that day will no longer be today." Baekhyun continued, and Chanyeol couldn't help but snort in disbelief. "I wanted to make sure you and I are good too."

"We are Baekhyun," Chanyeol replied with a relieved smile. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. I was happy when you texted me."

"Sehun told me you were worried. I didn't want you to be." Baekhyun said, nervously licking his lips. "I wanted you to hear my side of the story."

Baekhyun didn't notice the grip he had on his pants, but Chanyeol did. He reached over and grabbed the boy's slender fingers into his calloused ones. He gave Baekhyun a gentle smile, remembering Seulgi's and trying to mirror it. Baekhyun seemed to appreciate the gesture and squeezed Chanyeol's hand before continuing. 

"I didn't cry because of Luhan. So I don't want you to be mad at him. He really cares about you and seems to be a good friend, so I don't want to ruin that for you."

Chanyeol nodded and gave his hand a grateful squeeze. "So, why  _ did _ you cry?" 

"Well," Baekhyun began, having difficulty articulating the words. "I guess I thought you would hate me."

"For what Baekhyun? You didn't do anything."

"I'm easy to hate so, I'm always trying to only show you my good sides."

"Baekhyun, you're not easy to hate at all," Chanyeol argued, brows furrowed in disbelief and confusion. Baekhyun noticed that the hold on his hand was tighter than before. "You have so many people that love you. Myself included. Why would you think you're easy to hate?"

Baekhyun paused.

Chanyeol paused.

"You love me?" Baekhyun asked.

"Yeah," Chanyeol replied, mind blank. The only thing he could hear was his heart beating in his ears. He could feel the blush on his face with how quickly the blood rushed to his head. "I love you." he declared with a determined huff. He stood up, and now it was him looming over the other. "Got a problem with that?"

Baekhyun blinked at him. Then, he began to laugh uncontrollably; the only thing keeping him upright was the hold Chanyeol had on his hand. Chanyeol's ears were bright red, and he looked very much like he could pop at any moment like a balloon. 

"Who picks a fight after confessing?" Baekhyun asked amidst joyful tears. "Why are we all so  _ aggressive _ all the fucking time?" 

Chanyeol couldn't help but laugh with him, the younger's smile being contagious. "Shut  _ up _ , Baekhyun!" Chanyeol exclaimed, "I know you love me back, you asshole, so say it back!" he continued between mischievous giggles. 

Baekhyun calmed down after that, wiping at his eyes with his free hand. "Fine, you prick. I love you too. I love you to death. What are you gonna do about it?" he challenged, and Chanyeol took that personally. 

Swiftly, as if he hadn't been dreaming about the moment, Chanyeol leaned down to press his lips against Baekhyun's. The younger was caught off-guard and tripped backward, but Chanyeol grabbed him with his free hand and pulled him forward to push even closer to him. Once Baekhyun caught up to the moment, he began to kiss back. He used his free hand to cradle Chanyeol's cheek, his thumb gently squeezing into his dimple. They separated a moment later, both with blown pupils and dazed looks. 

"Oh my God," Baekhyun exhaled. "That was better than I imagined it was going to be."

"Oh, thank God," Chanyeol replied. "I've been practicing with my fist for  _ years _ ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue is next.

**Author's Note:**

> A comment would be very encouraging. :)


End file.
